"I try to come every year for the excellent food," said Chris Murin of Saginaw, who dined on Greek cuisine with several friends. "I really enjoy the baklava and the spinach and cheese pie."

More than 30,000 people are expected to attend the church’s annual festival at 4970 Mackinaw Road at the intersection of Mackinaw and McCarty in Saginaw.The event began Friday and continues until 11 p.m. Saturday. The festival wraps up Sunday, June 16 with hours from noon to 7 p.m.

Dr. Lou Economou, the first chairman of the event, said that the recipes for the Greek cuisine were originally chosen by a committee in 1979. An experimental dish is offered each year along with the traditional menu which has remained consistent.

"Traditional Greek cooking is very regional," Economou said. "If you go to the mountains in Greece, the food is very different than the specialties you will find along the seashore or the cuisine served in the south, but the spanakopita is pretty universal."

This year, traditionally prepared lamb is the dish that the committee is testing. At around 5 p.m. Saturday, the lamb will be removed from the spit after roasting for several hours. It is free for attendees to sample.

More than 15,000 Greek salads, 2,500 pounds of pork shoulder and 6,000 pieces of spanakopita, a spinach and feta cheese mixture wrapped in crispy phyllo, are served during the three-day festival, Economou said.

In order to meet the demand, the church began preparing and freezing some of the menu items in February.

In addition to the cuisine, festival attendees can also watch traditional dance groups and bands perform or take part in dance lessons.

Tours of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church take place from 1-7 p.m. every two hours each day.

"The goal of the festival is to share our culture and religion with the community," Economou said. "We also used money from the first festival to help finish our church."

Economou said each year the church dedicates some of its profits from the event to a charity or nonprofit, determining the amount donated based on the need.

Sunday's lineup includes music from Levendes from noon to 1 p.m. and again from 2-5 p.m., along with performances by dance groups Ta Paidia and Meraki from 1-2 p.m.

After paying the $3 admission fee for those older than 12, attendees can purchase food that costs anywhere from about $1 to $11.